(1) Field Of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knuckle assembly, and more particularly to a knuckle assembly including two mirror-symmetric knuckle ends that are provided with fastening means to quickly lock or unlock the knuckle ends into or from an angularly extended position.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
To meet the requirements of convenience and efficiency, many large-volume articles are so designed that they could be folded to occupy very small space when they are not in use. An example of such large-volume articles is a tent for camping. The tent is usually designed for accommodating more than one person and therefore occupies a very large space when it is fully extended. A tent providing large space is, of course, comfortable for use; it is, however, inconvenient for carry. Therefore, it is desirable to develop means that allow the large-volume articles, such as the tent, to be quickly bent into a small volume for easy carry or firmly locked at an extended position for service.
To achieve such purpose, there is developed a knuckle structure that allows long members of the large-volume articles to be bent into two or three sections when the articles are not in use. For the knuckle structure to mount onto the long members of the large-volume articles, the long members are provided at outer ends with threaded holes. Two threaded holes at the ends of two adjacent long members must first be aligned with each other, and then a screwdriver is usually needed to tighten a bolt through the two aligned holes to lock the two adjacent long members into one unit. In the event a camper forgets to bring such screwdriver with him, it would be difficult to pitch the tent with bare hands.
Therefore, it is the objective of the inventor to develop a knuckle assembly that is directly attached to the members to be angularly connected to one another and does not need any other tools to lock or unlock the knuckle assembly for the members connected by the knuckle assembly to firmly extend for service or quickly bend for storage.
The knuckle assembly provided according to the present invention includes first and second mirror-symmetric knuckle ends, each of which includes a sleeve portion for receiving an end of one of two long members to be connected together, and a wheel portion associated with a top front of the sleeve portion and located at one side of the top front. Each of the wheel portions is provided along a center line of an exposed circumferential surface with a collar, and each of the sleeve portions is provided at the other side of the top front with a groove that has dimensions for fitly receiving the collar on the other wheel portion. Each of the wheel portions is provided at a predetermined position with an axially extended eccentric hole into which a rivet may be extended to eccentrically connect the first and the second knuckle ends together. Each of the wheel portions is also provided at a predetermined position with a stepped through hole which has a large-diameter end located at an inner side face of the wheel portion and a small-diameter end at an outer side face of the wheel portion. First and second fastening means both having an enlarged head being separately positioned in the stepped holes of the first and the second knuckle ends with the enlarged head seated in the large-diameter end of each stepped hole and a small length of a rod of each the fastening means projected from the small-diameter end. The large-diameter end of the stepped hole on the first knuckle end is provided around an inner surface close to an outer end thereof with a circle of slightly radially inward projected rib. Whereby when the first and the second knuckle ends are pivotally turned relative to each other to a position at which the two stepped holes on the wheel portions are aligned with each other, the second fastening means in the stepped hole of the second knuckle end may be pushed inward to move its enlarged head through the radially projected rib around the stepped hole of the first knuckle end, causing the enlarged head of the second fastening means to be retained in the large-diameter end of the stepped hole on the first knuckle end and thereby locking the first and the second knuckle ends in place, and when the first fastening means is pushed inward to move the enlarged head of the second fastening means back into the large-diameter end of the stepped hole on the second knuckle end, the first and the second knuckle ends are allowed to angularly bend relative to each other.